Biography of Thomas J. Stallcup

THOMAS J. STALLCUP. In endeavoring to trace the genealogy of the Stallcup family, we find that the first member of this family to settle in America was the great-grandfather of our subject, who left his home in Switzerland and settled in this country at a period long antedating the Revolution. He located in Maryland, but the family drifted thence to Tennessee. George Stallcup, grandfather of our subject, was born in Maryland and there, after growing to mature years, was married to Miss Susan Hanley, also a native of Maryland. Later he and his wife moved to Tennessee, and after rearing a family there, came to Jackson, and afterward to Taney County, Missouri. This was in 1842, when he settled seven miles southeast of Forsyth, where he remained until his death in 1858. He was a lifelong farmer, and a man who accumulated considerable wealth. His son, Solomon Stallcup, father of our subject, was born in Overton County, Tennessee, in 1811, and was nineteen years of age when he came with his parents to Missouri. In 1843 he settled in Taney County, seven miles southeast of Forsyth, on White River, on a farm in the woods, where he remained until his death in 1848. He had but a limited education in youth, but was a man of good sound judgment and accumulated considerable wealth, much of which he lost in the panic of 1836-37. He was married in Jackson County, Missouri, to Miss Mary Saunders, a native of Virginia, born in 1810, and the daughter of John and Susan Saunders, who were natives of Virginia, but who came to Jackson County, Missouri, at an early period, and died there. To Solomon Stallcup and wife were born seven children: Thomas J., subject ; James S., who resided in Taney County, but who died while serving in the Confederate Army; Ann, residing in Vernon County, this State, is married and has a family ; Cornell B., residing in Taney County, see sketch; Rebecca, wife of Kerry Huff, died in this county ; Miranda, single, died in this county; Samuel H., married, resides in Bates County, Missouri, and one who died in infancy. The parents of these children were members of the Baptist Church, and were well liked in the community, in which they lived. They were well-known pioneers of Missouri, and contributed their share toward its progress and settlement. Mr. Stallcup died in 1848, and Mrs. Stallcup in 1858.

Until ten years of age our subject attended the schools of Jackson County, Missouri, where his birth occurred February 11, 1833, and he then came with his parents to Taney County, where he has made his home ever since, a period of over fifty years. He assisted his father in clearing and improving the home place, also another farm in the county, and when twenty-one years of age, started out for himself. He first began tilling the soil on the farm of his father and continued to manage it until 1869, when he came to the place where he now lives, about two and a half miles from Kirbyville. He has 320 acres of land, with 240 acres under cultivation, one of the finest farms in the county, and also owned a good farm on White River, but sold it and bought his present property. He is classed among the leading farmers of the county, and was selected by the farming interests of the World’s Fair to represent Taney County, in 1893, at Chicago, but could not accept on account of his health. Like his father and grandfather, Mr. Stallcup is a Democrat in politics, and takes a deep interest in the success of his party. He is a member of Masonic Lodge, No. 453, at Forsyth, and has been treasurer of the lodge. During the Rebellion, he served in the Third Missouri Cavalry, Company H, as a private in the Confederate Army for about eight months, and was in Gen. Price’s raid.

In 1853 he married Miss Della Nave, a native of Taney County, and the daughter of William Nave, an early pioneer of this county. She died in 1856, leaving one child, Mary P., who is now the wife of Samuel King of Boone County, Arkansas, and the mother of seven children. In 1857 Mr. Stallcup married Mrs. Selina Turner, widow of Geo. Turner, who died in 1850. Before her first marriage Mrs. Stailcup was Miss Selina Benton, daughter of Thomas and Lucy (Arnold) Benton, natives of Tennessee and South Carolina, respectively, the former born in 1801 and the latter in 1800. About 1853 Mr. and Mrs. Benton moved to Taney County, Missouri, and followed farming there the remainder of their lives, the former dying in 1882, when eighty-four years of age, and the latter in 1865. Ten children were born to this worthy couple, eight of whom are still living: Francis M., deceased; William H., who is living in Texas; Lucinda, widow of a Mr. Kirk, resides in Greene County; John H., deceased; Selina, Mrs. Stallcup ; Colbird, deceased ; Leon, residing in Texas, is the widow of Joseph Page; James F., who is living in Taney County, Missouri; Jiles J., in Boone County, Arkansas; and Mannery, the wife of James Greene is residing in Taney County. Mrs. Stallcup had three children by her former marriage, the first two being twins. They died unnamed and then was born a daughter, Selilda M., the wife of Thomas Sims, and the mother of four children. Mr. and Mrs. Stallcup attend the Christian Church, and she is a member of the same.

Their grandchildren are named as follows: Thomas J., Adella K., Robert F., Maud, Lula M., Harden W., May and Selina. Mr. King, son-in-law of subject, was reared in Boone County, Arkansas, but at one time lived in Taney County, Missouri One of our subject’s uncles was with Davy Crocket in the Alamo fight, and was killed there. Mrs. Stallcup’s maternal grandfather, Frank Arnold, was killed by the English-American Tories, while serving in the Revolution. She has one great-grandchild, Edwin I. Irwin, who is now four years old. When the latter was born he had two grandmothers, two great-grandmothers and one great-great-grandmother living. During the war Mr. Stallcup lost all his property, and when the war was over he was $600 in debt. All he has now was made from that time up to the present.